Inside MyFBG

In-Season Dominators

Win. Your. League.

Buy Low, Sell High: Week 3

A look at the best players to buy low and sell high on heading into Week 3.

by Sigmund Bloom, September 21Photo: Bob DeChiara, US Presswire

Buy Low

Matt Ryan, QB, ATL - The Falcons have been this close to big games for Ryan, with five field goals and three rushing scores for Devonta Freeman. Ryan will pop off for a multi-score game soon, as the offense is humming having returned all of the major players at the skill positions and on the offense line. Don’t forget that he gets the Saints in Week 14 and 16.

Dak Prescott, QB, DAL - Prescott faced the tough Broncos and Giants defenses in Weeks 1 and 2, but his job is getting easier with the Cardinals up in Week 3. The Cowboys defense could get them into more shootouts this year when they aren’t facing the woeful Giants offensive line and Ezekiel Elliott could still have to serve his six-game suspension this year. A lot more about be on Prescott’s shoulders this year.

Joe Mixon, RB, CIN - Mixon has an opening to take over this backfield with a new offensive coordinator. Bill Lazor liked to speed up the tempo when he ran the Miami Dolphins offense, which gives Mixon an advantage for playing time because he can perform in every aspect of the running back’s duties, making it easier to leave him on the field for an entire drive of hurry-up football. He may take the job and not look back this week, and we all know it will happen eventually.

Alex Collins, RB, BAL - Collins is just sitting there on the waiver wire and he could end up leading the defense and running game heavy Ravens in carries this year. He had the best burst of any Ravens back in Week 2, head coach John Harbaugh praised Collins, and the team has never seemed sold on Terrance West. West’s calf injury is all the opportunity Collins needs to take over the early down work, as Javorius Allen is not a good runner between the tackles.

D’Onta Foreman, RB, HOU - Foreman has translated to the pros much better than I expected. His natural power, burst, and surprising flexibility stands out next to Lamar Miller, who is sluggish compared to what we saw of Miller in Miami. It’s only a matter of time before Foreman is getting more touches than Miller. He might not have redraft appeal, as Miller won’t go to the bench, but Foreman’s dynasty stock should be up on his Week 2 performance.

Rob Kelley, RB, WAS - It hasn’t gotten a lot of notice, but Kelley does looks noticeably swifter than last year, and he was more effective than Samaje Perine in Week 2. It doesn’t appear that his rib injury will cost him any time, and he should be able to hold off Perine as long as he keeps running the way he did in Week 2 against Los Angeles.

Brandin Cooks, WR, NE - Cooks hasn’t popped up for a big play yet, but he drew multiple penalties near the goal line in Week 1, and caught a ball at the two yard line in Week 2. This week, he’s facing a Texans secondary that is without Kevin Johnson and has Jonathan Joseph nursing a shoulder injury. The touchdown opportunities for Cooks will turn into touchdowns soon enough.

Danny Amendola, WR, NE - It feels like forever ago, but Amendola was the leading receiver for the Patriots in Week 1 even though he didn’t play the full game. He’s likely back this week from a knee issue and a concussion, and as long as he can stay on the field (don’t laugh), he should be drawing a matchup that Tom Brady chooses to exploit most weeks. Amendola more useful in PPR leagues than he has been given credit for after his injury overshadowed his hot start in place of Julian Edelman.

Mack Hollins, WR, PHI - Hollins already has polish and great suddenness in his routes despite being only two games into his career. He isn’t going to hit this year without injuries, but Hollins has a bright future with Alshon Jeffery only on a one-year deal, Torrey Smith at or past his prime, and Carson Wentz just on the verge of entering his. Try to get him as a throw-in in a dynasty league trade and by no means should he be on any dynasty waiver wire.

J.J. Nelson, WR, ARI - I’m afraid we can’t count on John Brown any longer, and Bruce Arians is too aware of this. Nelson will be the designated deep threat in this vertical passing offense, that has gotten better play from Carson Palmer as the season has gone on. Nelson produced big numbers at times when Brown was out last year, and his tiny frame conceals a big scoring punch in fantasy leagues, including this week against the beleaguered and depleted Cowboys secondary.

DeVante Parker, WR, MIA - Jay Cutler was on the same page as Parker in the Week 2 win over the Chargers, and Parker was very close to an even bigger day against a tough secondary. He stole a possible interception from Casey Hayward and otherwise instilled trust from Cutler to give him plenty of chances to win downfield. He should feast on the Jets secondary this week, as long as his ankle is healthy enough to play on.

Sell High

Trevor Siemian, QB, DEN - Unless you are using Siemian in a streaming quarterback approach, it’s time to cash him in while he’s in the top three scorers at his position. His attempts will remain low and introduce a larger margin of error than you need to tolerate at quarterback.

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, DAL - Elliott is coming off of his worst game as a pro and no one is paying attention to the possibility that the 5th circuit will overturn the injunction that is keeping him on the field this year. This could be your last moment to sell high in redraft, and in dynasty, we can never be sure that this will be his last suspension.

Samaje Perine, RB, WAS - Rob Kelley was better than Perine last week, and Kelley is indeed slimmer and swifter than last year when he earned the "Fat Rob" moniker. If both backs play the way they did in Week 2, Perine isn’t going to overtake Kelley. He still has a lot of dynasty appeal, but Perine’s way is more significantly blocked than we thought it was, especially with Chris Thompson also making the most of his snaps and touches.

Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, TB - Rodgers got his short touchdown and heavy workload in an easy win over the Bears in Week 2, but the running game will have more trouble generating positive gains against the Vikings and the Giants in the next two weeks, and then Doug Martin is back. If you don’t need Rodgers for your lineup, try to sell him to the Martin owner.

CJ Anderson, RB, DEN - Anderson did this to us in Week 1 last year, looking like one of the NFL’s best all-around backs in a triumphant week-winning fantasy performance. Devontae Booker is due back soon, and Anderson always seems to get tripped up by an injury just as his game is rounding into form. If you can get near RB1 return from him in a trade, history suggests that it will look like a smart move very soon.

Javorius Allen, RB, BAL - Allen should continue to put up solid PPR numbers as the Ravens best receiving back, but he isn’t a good runner between the tackles, and his role will remain capped. If you don’t need Allen, it’s a good time to trade him with Alex Collins potentially about to steal the show.

Sell Low

Jordan Howard, RB, CHI - The bottom has dropped out of Howard’s stock with the emergence of Tarik Cohen and Mike Glennon playing like Mike Glennon. The Bears offensive line is in tatters and the matchups aren’t getting any easier. Game scripts and other forces are converging to make Howard more of a what the heck flex than an RB1, but you might still be able to get something useful despite taking a pennies on the dollar loss on Howard in redraft.

Buy High

Derrick Henry, RB, TEN - Henry is a hot commodity with Demarco Murray banged up, but Murray could still return this week and keep Henry in an RBBC. Murray probably won’t go away and allow Henry to take this job over completely, but Henry might not need the full job to be an every week fantasy starter. He was dominant against a Jaguars defense that was feared by opposing running games and could have easily had two or three scores if the Titans had stuck with him inside the five the way they used Murray last year. His league-winning potential is intact, as Henry is even better than last year and Murray is already hurt.